Monday 13 June 2011

Watts Gallery re-opens after £11 million re-furb

At long last the Watts Gallery in Compton has re-opened after a 2 year, £11 million restoration, and I couldn’t wait to see it. A networking event last week presented the perfect opportunity for me to see how the home and workplace of eminent C19th painter, George Watts, has been re-furbished.


The Watts Gallery is the only purpose-built gallery in the UK dedicated to a single professional artist, and the new look is fresh, spacious and very informative. Today the gallery houses over 6000 diverse objects including over 250 oil paintings, 800 drawings and watercolours, some 130 prints, 200 sculptures, and 240 pieces of pottery as well as unique ephemera and memorabilia related to G. F. Watts, Mary Seton Watts and the history of Watts Gallery.

As always, my eyes were drawn to the cabinets where sketchbooks, letters and personal items conjure up a picture of the artist’s life. Letters to his 2nd wife, Mary, in his artistic scrawly writing, transported me into his thoughts and emotions, then observed in some of his work.

I was intrigued to learn that George Watts had a fascination for the female neck, and this was apparent in many of his paintings. This personal, sideways pose was a controversial move for a Victorian artist - portraits at that time were generally more formal, facing front. Much of Watt’s work is sensuous, showing the influence of Rossetti, and a use of rich, full colour to great effect.


Watts married twice - firstly, in 1864, to Ellen Terry who was 30 years his junior. When she eloped with another man after less than a year, Watts was obliged to divorce her. In 1886, at the age of 69, he re-married to Mary Fraser-Tytler, a Scottish designer and potter, aged 36. Their love of the creative world brought them purpose and great joy and in 1891, they bought land near Compton and continued their work, involving local people and inspiring others. The Watts Gallery, a museum dedicated to his work, opened in 1904, shortly before his death.


When I left the gallery, it was still sunny so I stopped half a mile up the road at the Watts Mortuary Chapel, designed by Mary Watts. This delightful little chapel is an intriguing fusion of art nouveau, Celtic, Romanesque and Egyptian, all influenced by Mary's own original style. The Chapel was apparently the Watts's contribution to the Victorian preoccupation with social improvement through creative enlightenment. Mary passionately believed that anyone with a real interest and enthusiasm could be taught how to produce beautiful decoration,

I wandered around the small graveyard which was intensely peaceful - just the occasional song of a blackbird enjoying the last rays of sunshine. Places such as this little chapel and the Watts Gallery are such special places to cherish in today’s frantic race to prosper and achieve. If you can, make a date in your diary to visit there this summer.


Take a look at the Watt’s Gallery’s informative website: http://www.wattsgallery.org.uk






Monday 6 June 2011

Are conceptual gardens just mumbo jumbo?

I recently enjoyed a couple of hours chatting to eminent garden designer Andrew Wilson for a forthcoming Surrey Life feature. Andrew was my tutor when i studied Garden Design at Merrist Wood College. Since those inspiring (and often very amusing) days in the classroom, when he drummed into us so many useful landscaping principles, he has launched his own Garden Design school in London. He is also an RHS judge, covering Chelsea and Hampton Court flower shows, and I was keen to get a little 'insider info' from him.

I won't reveal our whole conversation - that's in Surrey Life's July issue, but a few things stuck firmly in my mind. Firstly I was amazed to learn that only 30 to 40 garden designers submit entries to Hampton Court Flower Show each year - I'd always thought they'd be inundated, and hence I never considered having a go myself. Now I feel inspired to get designing - particularly as the conceptual gardens category has become so popular in recent years. Surely an interest and background in art will aid my attempt? Described as a 'fusion and art and horticulture' this category ticks 2 of my favourite boxes.

Andrew is a big fan of the conceptual gardens. 'Conceptual Gardens can breathe new life into a show' he says. 'They are sometimes harder to judge because you really have to study the idea behind the garden, not just the final execution. It is a pure aspect of design, and not a load of mumbo-jumbo, as some people may believe'.

Andrew was part of the RHS forum that decided to introduce the category; he recalls how one of the first conceptual gardens got an award, even though half the plants had died. The idea was brilliant, but the Italian designer had unfortunately had many of his intended plants impounded at the docks at Dover, hence his finished garden was diminished in some areas. However, his design and original intent were clearly impressive.

So there we are - it's not all about having green fingers and knowing your berberis darwinii from your Phyllostachys glauca. An open mind, the ability to translate thought into design and and a commitment to your original idea are also very useful.

Hampton Court Flower show is from July 5 - 10.